Zim human rights under scrutiny

ZIMBABWE’S commitment to respecting human rights will come under United Nations scrutiny this week when it gives its response to the 260 recommendations that were raised by the global community at last November’s universal periodic review.

Civil society organisations at the November meeting accused the government of failing to implement human rights treaties it agreed to in 2011 such as criminalising torture and protection of people against forced disappearances.

Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa is leading the government delegation at the Geneva review process amid revelations that Zimbabwe will not consider nearly half of the issues raised at the review.

“In the final analysis, therefore, Zimbabwe supports a total of 156 of the recommendations made while 104 have been noted,” the Justice ministry said in a statement.

Zimbabwe will have an opportunity during the UN Human Rights Council to present its views on the recommendations issued in November 2016.

“Outstanding protocols that need to be implemented include Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment; International Convention for the Protection of All Persons against Enforced Disappearances; and the 1961 United Nations Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness,” civil society organisations (CSOs) said in a statement.

The CSOs in their November presentation highlighted that between November 2011 and 2016, many were targeted by State agents through raids of offices, arbitrary arrest/detention of staff members, confiscation of property, hate speech or other forms of attack that disrupted activities.

They also presented that some human rights defenders had disappeared, including, but not limited to, Paul Chizuze and Itai Dzamara.